Philosophy

PHL 100 - Introduction to Philosophy

Are you looking for answers to life's important questions? This course offers students an introduction to important conversations about philosophical topics such as the nature of reality, personal identity, freedom, knowledge, morality, religion, and social justice with the aim of students developing their own well-considered views.

Sheryl Tuttle Ross         TuTh  3:55 – 5:20

Daniel Schneider            TuTh  9:25 – 10:50

PHL 101 - Introduction to Logic

This course offers students an introduction to several methods of logic: the science of reasoning. In this course, students examine the nature of statements and arguments, identify rules for distinguishing good arguments from bad, learn methods for constructing and testing proofs, and practice good reasoning in general.

Stewart Eskew           MW 3:55 – 5:20

PHL 206 - History of Modern Philosophy

In this course, students explore the thinking of several important enlightenment philosophers whose work either led to, or gave interpretation to, the so-called "European Enlightenment." Students examine how these thinkers approached questions about mind and body, the foundations of knowledge, primary and secondary qualities, and the scientific image of human beings and nature.

Daniel Schneider             TuTh 11:00 – 12:25

PHL 330 - Philosophy of Food

This course explores the aesthetic, ethical and existential features of food. Topics may include the ethics of hunting; whether food can be art; the Tao of food; the phenomenology of terroir, localism, and cosmopolitanism; whether manners are a moral or aesthetic good; and whether certain foods are Veblen goods.

Sheryl Tuttle Ross             ONLINE

PHL 332 - Philosophy of the Arts

An examination of production, appreciation, and criticism of art. Topics may include the nature of art, the nature of beauty, the function(s) of art (if any), the moral status of works of art, aesthetic evaluation, the antimony of taste, the paradoxes of fiction, tragedy, and horror, and public financing of art. Theories may include the imitation/representation theory, expressionism, formalism, aesthetic experience theory, and institutional theory.

Sheryl Tuttle Ross             ONLINE

PHL 339 - Medical Ethics

This course is an examination of the principal moral problems that arise in the clinical and non-clinical medical context. Topics include an introduction to the principles of autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, and justice, as well as the ethical complexities surrounding various issues including paternalism and patient autonomy, healthcare decisions regarding children, the role and responsibilities of surrogate decision-makers, truth-telling and confidentiality, clinical trials, abortion, reproductive and genetic technologies, euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide, public health, and justice in health care.

Stewart Eskew           MW 2:15 – 3:40

PHL 341 - Environmental Ethics

This course is an examination of the moral status of the natural environment. Theories including classical normative philosophy (e.g., virtue theory), ecocentrism, deep ecology, and eco-feminism are discussed. Topics surrounding animal rights, environmental justice, and the importance of biodiversity are considered. Throughout the course, students reflect upon what it means to have an appropriate relationship with the environment.

Samuel Cocks            TuTh 9:25 – 10:50

PHL 496 – Integrative Seminar

Integration of programmatic themes and methods in the major. May be taken for honors credit.

Samuel Cocks            Wed 9:55 – 10:50